The invention relates to a method and apparatus for making photographically imprinted artificial fingernails contoured to fit the curve of a natural fingernail.
Elaborately-designed fingernails have become very popular among women. Such designs can be created by "fingernail artists" who paint minute, intricate, multi-colored designs on womens' natural fingernails. Sometimes a single design or scene spans an entire set of ten fingernails. However, it is quite time-consuming and expensive to handpaint a scene on a set of ten fingernails.
Less costly "designer fingernails" can be obtained by gluing artificial fingernails decorated with simple colors and designs onto natural fingernails. In general, such artificial fingernails are flat, and assume a contour only when pressed on and glued to the natural fingernail. However, artificial fingernails adhere better to natural fingernails if the artificial fingernails are curved similar to the curve of a natural fingernail.
Thus, there is an unmet need for an economical artificial fingernail that presents an intricate, multi-color photographic design and is contoured to better fit on a natural fingernail.